Transmission mechanism for two movements and in directional signals for vehicles



Sept. 21; 1937.

CAMPBELL ET AL 2,093,597 TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR TWO MOVEMENTS AND IN DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS FOR VEHICLES Filed May 12, 1936' 2 Sheets-Sheet l (E INVENTO 5' n flflorew (2707 2665 fldo/pb 60/00/2677 Sept. 21, 1937. A. CAMPBELL ET AL 2,093,597

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR TWO MOVEMENTS AND IN DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS FOR VEHICLES Fi-led May 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW W41 ATTORNEY6 Patented Sept. 21, 1937 trite TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR TWO MOVEMENTS AND IN DIRECTIIQNAL SIG- NALS FQR VEHECLES Application May 12, 1936, Serial No. 79,234. In the Union of South Africa March 24, 1936 UNITED STAT 3 Claims.

This invention has reference to mechanism for transmitting, to a distant movable member, two motions which may be simultaneous or not. The mechanism is, particularly adapted for the case For its rotation the arrow is mounted upon a turntable I carried by means of an easily moving bearing 8 upon a casing 9 secured for instance to the roof ll) of the vehicle. To enable it to tilt it is so mounted by means of the pivot H.

to the casing 9 is arranged to pull on the free where at least one of the motions to be imparted At the right hand side of Figure I is shown the 5 to the member is rotary and is transmitted as drivers device for actuating the arrow. This such. The invention is also particularly adapted device is mounted in a position where it is readily for transmitting the motion of an operating hanavailable to the driver.

dle constrained for rotary motion and also angu Transmission of movement between this de- 10 lar motion relatively to the axis of the rotary vice and the arrow 2 is eifected by a flexible shaft 0 motion, to a distant movable member similarly consisting of a circumferentially rigid tubular constrained. case l2 and a core it within said casing which is It has been proposed to employ such a m mrigid longitudinally and in torsion but is flexible her as the visual signal member of apparatus for for bendin 115 signalling the intended manoeuvres of a vehicle One end of said core i3 is rig d y fixed 11 a 11011- 15 in which apparatus th member is shaped as an cylindrical plunger M sliding in a similarly nonarrow and is mounted on the roof of the vehicle; cylindrical and vertical axial bore l5 of the turnsaid arrow member normally pointing forward table 5. Rotation of the core thus rotates the but being arranged to rotate to the right or left turntable and With it the The Plunger is for indicating a turning movement of th alsoconnected by a link It to a point H on the 20 hicle, and to be brought to a vertical position to arrow d s t from t p t So at a p indicat int ti t l d top transmitted through the core It causes the plung- A specific object of the invention is to provide M to rise d the arrow to tilt p; Whilst mechanism for operating meveme and directraction of the core causes or allows the arrow .25 ticnally Significant, signal member as t 1 to drop back to its horizontal position. It will be scribed, from the drivers position within the ve- Observed that the arrangement permits tilting o hicle. Afurther object of the invention is to prothe arrow independently of s i tal p s vide, at the driverls end of such apparatus, an tionaetuati h d th movements of which are Vertical movement of said end of the core l3 similar to those of the signal member, although is q d, b t fo t e sa e of appeara ce t e not necessarily similarly ri t flexible shaft should be positioned horizontally A vehicle signalling installation according to 61056 to h TOOf Without e able 6X- th invention i shown i th accompanying posure, thus necessitating a bend of short radrawings in h; dius. If the shaft case I2 is continued close to 'Figure I shows the apparatus in sectional eleh turntable d is itself p y ed, fric- 35 vation, tional resistance to the movement of the core FigureII is a horizontal section on II--II, Fig- I3 is liable to be high. An arrangement shown me I. I and comprising the casing 9 minimizes friction Figure III is a horizontal section on III -III, at this point. The shaft case is terminated at 40 Figure I. V I8 and is coupled to the side of the casing 9. The

Figure IV is a sectional elevation of an alterbare core is continued through the casing 9 and tive a tuat d is guided by a swinging arm l9 pivoted to the The visual member of the installation 1s of dicasing at a The Connection f Said arm the rectionally significant form and is shown shaped Core '3 (shown in Figures I and II) Comprises 45 as P arrow indicated generally 2 forks 2! on the arm, a ring 22 pivotally mounted and compnsmg a. a fi i and between the forks, and a sleeve 23 rotatable Its normal posltlqn 1s Onzon and pontmg within the ring and fixed to the shaft core. The ahead of the vehicle. By the means hereafter 0 sleeve 23 is retained within the rmg 22 by a fixed described, 1t can be rotated about the vert1ca1 5O axis 6 either way from its normal position to flange M at one d detachable flange indicate a left right turn and can also be 25 at its other end. The latter 1s secured tothe tilted ahead upward to indicate slowing down or sleeve by screws 26 which also secure the sleeve stopping. The drawings show it partially tilted to the shaft core l3 by their pointed ends which up. penetrate the latter. A tension spring 2'11 secured 55 end of the arm [9 to assist in counterbalancing the arrow 2.

The turntable i is provided with a down-turned flange 28 which shields the bearing 8 and is formed with a slot 29 of 180 angular extent, the ends of which form stops for making contact with a fixed projection 35 on the casing 9 and thereby limit the horizontal movement of the arrow 2 in both directions. Leaf springs 3| within the casing so engage a roller 32 on the turntable E that they give the arrow a tendency to return to its normal position when it is displaced therefrom. The springs 35 may be bent at their ends to provide hooks 33 which engage the roller and thus act as additional or alternative stops when the arrow is in its extreme rotated positions.

The form of the drivers actuating mechanism shown at the right hand of Figure I is such that its operating handle 34 can be mounted on the steering column assembly 35 above the steering wheel 36; thus necessitating a motion transmitting arrangement which extends through the steering column assembly and emerges from the lower end thereof at a position to which it is seldom feasible to bring the flexible shaft with the easy curvature which is necessary for its smooth working. The actuating mechanism is accordingly arranged to connect with the flexible shaft when the driven end 37 of the latter is directed downward and materially parallel with the steering column assembly.

38 indicates a fixed tubular member of the steering column assembly such as the lower end of the steering gear box. Fixed to it and extending upward from it is the tubular casing 39. The steering wheel 36 is attached to its hollow shaft 40 which is external to said fixed tubular casing 39; while 4| is the stationary steering column casing. At the upper end of casing 39 is the box 42 which will be more fully described hereafter. Within the casing 39 is the hollow shaft 43; and within that the sliding rod 44, the upper polygonal end 44a of which non-rotatably engages the hollow shaft 43. To the upper end of the hollow shaft 43 is fixed a disc 45. The rod 44 extends axially through said disc and is connected by link 45 to the handle lever 34. The

latter is pivoted to the disc 45 at one side thereof and so as to swing in a plane perpendicular to that of the disc. At the other end it is formed as a handle 4'11. Thus lifting or lowering of the handle pulls up or thrusts down the rod 44; whilst side pressure on the handle causes rotation together of the handle lever 34, the disc 45 and the hollow shaft 43.

The lower end of the hollow shaft is fitted with a toothed wheel 48 which meshes with another toothed wheel 49 mounted for rotation in a casing 54. The lower end of the rod 44 is connected by link 5i to a lever 52 fulcrumed at 53 within the casing 56 and connected by link 54 to a sliding shaft 55 which is splined in the toothed wheel 49. Rotation of the latter thus rotates the shaft 55, whilst endwise movement of the rod 44 slides said shaft longitudinally. The core member E3 of the flexible shaft is fixed to shaft 55 and transmits longitudinal movement of the latter to the arrow 2 through the mechanism already described. The case E2 of the flexible shaft is fixed to the casing 55 by the nut device 55 shown which permits the longitudinal position of said case l2 in relation to the casing 55 to be minutely adjusted as is necessary for the easy movement of the core within it.

The wheel 49 is smaller than the wheel 48 whereby only a small movement of the disc 45 is necessary to swing the arrow to its extreme positions.

Since the rod 44 rotates with the handle lever 34 and the shaft 55 is also rotatable, said rod and said shaft are provided with non-rotating lower end members 57 to which the links 5|, 54 are attached.

Between the fixed box 42 and the rotating disc 45 there is provided a spring detent device 58 which tends to hold the disc and the handle lever 34 in the angular position corresponding to the normal position of the arrow. Standing up from the disc 45 is a slotted quadrant 59 within which the lever 34 moves and which assists to transmit rotational movement of the lever to the disc 45. In the quadrant members are provided embossed detents 60 which spring into depressions Bl in the lever 34 when said lever is in its normal position.

It is desirable that the movement of the arrow to either of its turn-indicating positions should be rapid, whilst its restoration to its normal position can be effected more leisurely. With this in view spring flicking mechanism is arranged to drive the rotating members of the transmission, once they have been started in the desired direction from their normal position. As shown this comprises a pair of compression springs 62, each of which is enclosed within a telescopic casing 63 mounted in the box 42 by means of trunnions 64 and pin jointed to a ring 65 fastened tothe hollow shaft 43. Said springs aline with and counteract one another when said shaft 43 is in the normal position. Upon rotation of the shaft being started in one direction or the other by side pressure on one side or other of the handle 41, both springs co-operate to drive said shaft to its full extent in that direction.

65 indicates a lever extending from the casing 50 and adapted when its outer end is depressed, to engage the lever 52 and thereby tilt up the arrow 2. Said lever is arranged to be actuated as the result of applying the vehicle brakes and for this purpose it is shown as connected by a compression rod 61 to a movable element 68 adapted to be depressed by the heel of the drivers foot with which he is operating the brake pedal 69.

Figure IV shows a simpler form of the driver's actuating mechanism which is suitable for use in positions where the flexible shaft can be brought to it without sharp curvature. indicates a tubular body which is fixed by such means as halved clamps H to say the steering column casing or the instrument board.

At one end of said body 10 is a rotatable head 12 carrying the handle lever 34. The latter is linked to a rod l3 passing through the casing and fixed to the core 13 of the flexible shaft. The case I2 of the flexible shaft is secured to the body it. The spring means described above for rotating the shaft 43 after it has been started, may be applied in this case to the rod 13.

We claim:

1. The combination with a body constrained for two independent motions, of a casingonwhich the body is mounted, a flexible shaft comprising a case and a rotatable and slidable core which is connected to said body to impart said motions thereto by its rotation and sliding respectively, means for independently rotating and sliding the core, and for the purpose of passing the core round a sharp curve without setting up undue friction, a portion of the core in the curve being free from the case, an arm for guiding said portion in its movement along the curve, the casing providing a pivot for the arm, and means attaching said arm to the core and permitting free rotation of the core.

2. In a vehicle signalling system, a casing adapted to be fixed to a vehicle, a turntable rotatably mounted on saidcasing, a signal memits curve, and swivelling means connecting said arm to said core.

3. In a vehicle signalling'system, a rotatable and tiltable signal member, a flexible shaft comprising a rotatable and slidable core connected to said member to rotate the member by its rotation and totilt the member by its sliding motion, a signal actuating device comprising sliding and rotatable means, a splined shaft substantially parallel with said sliding and rotatable means, gearing splined to the splined" shaft and connecting said shaft and said means for rotation, and means connecting them for sliding movement, the core of the flexible shaft being fixed to said splined shaft.

ANDREW CAMPBELL. ADOLPH GOLDSMITH. FRED KENNEDY WHITE. 

